By: Richard L. Smith
Someone in New Jersey is waking up Thursday morning with a fortune worth hundreds of millions of dollars after a single Powerball ticket sold in the Garden State matched all six numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing.
According to an announcement released by Powerball officials, the winning ticket for the November 4, 2026, drawing captured an estimated $847 million jackpot, making it the ninth-largest prize in the game’s history.
The winning numbers were 15, 34, 41, 53, 56, and the red Powerball number 21. The Power Play multiplier was 2.
The lucky ticket holder now faces a life-changing financial decision: accept the full $847 million through annual payments over 29 years or take an estimated $363.1 million in a single cash payment before taxes.
As of early Thursday morning, lottery officials had not publicly identified the New Jersey retailer that sold the winning ticket, leaving residents across the state wondering whether the winning numbers were purchased at their neighborhood convenience store, gas station or lottery retailer.
The winner’s identity also remains unknown.
Wednesday’s drawing ended a jackpot run that began after a player in Illinois won $1.04 billion on August 12, 2026.
Powerball officials said more than one million tickets nationwide won cash prizes in Wednesday’s drawing, including 25 tickets worth $50,000 each and four tickets worth $100,000.
The odds of matching all six numbers and winning the grand prize were approximately one in 292.2 million.
The latest jackpot also marks another major lottery victory for New Jersey, which last produced a Powerball jackpot winner in June 2024, when a ticket claimed $222.6 million.
For anyone holding a Powerball ticket from Wednesday night, lottery officials encourage players to carefully check their numbers.
Meanwhile, the Powerball jackpot will reset to $20 million for the next drawing on Saturday, November 7.
For now, one question remains on the minds of lottery players throughout New Jersey: Where was that $847 million ticket sold?